CO-PUBLISHED BY ROUTLEDGE AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

Grammar to Get Things Done offers a fresh lens on grammar and grammar instruction, designed for middle and secondary pre-service and in-service English teachers. It shows how form, function, and use can help teachers move away from decontextualized grammar instruction (such as worksheets and exercises emphasizing rule-following and memorizing conventional definitions) and begin considering grammar in applied contexts of everyday use.

Modules (organized by units) succinctly explain common grammatical concepts. These modules help English teachers gain confidence in their own understanding while positioning grammar instruction as an opportunity to discuss, analyze, and produce language for real purposes in the world. An important feature of the text is attention to both the history of and current attitudes about grammar through a sociocultural lens, with ideas for teachers to bring discussions of language-as-power into their own classrooms.

Darren Crovitz is Professor of English and English Education and the Director of English Education at Kennesaw State University, USA.

Michelle D. Devereaux is Assistant Professor of English and English Education at Kennesaw State University, USA.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter One: Introduction

Defining Grammar

Grammar

Usage

Mechanics

A Very Short History of Grammar and Usage in the English Language

A Very Short History of Modern Grammar Instruction

Approaches to Grammar: Prescriptive, Descriptive, and Rhetorical

Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammars

Rhetorical Grammar

How We Address Grammar(s) in This Book

Why Definitions?

Form, Function, and Use

Parts of Speech or Lexical Categories?

The Goal For All: Metalinguistic Awareness

References

Chapter Two: Grammar and Power

What is Standard English?

Moralizing Language

Grammar(s) and Power, Society, and Identity

Power

Society

Identity

Critical Awareness and Grammar Instruction

Further Reading

References

Chapter Three: Teaching Grammar Intentionally

Grammar as an Integrated Element of Broader Design

Authority, Control, and Punishment (Sample Integrated Unit #1)

Specific Grammar Concepts for This Unit

Passive (and Active) Voice

Sentence Modifiers: Absolute Phrases

What Counts as Intelligence (Sample Integrated Unit #2)

Specific Grammar Concepts for This Unit

"To Be" Verbs and Sentence Forms

Complex Sentence Structures

How to Plan for Specific Grammar Integration

Correction and Grammar Instruction: Using Student Work Diagnostically

General Issues and What They Mean

Passage- and Paragraph-Level Patterns and What They Mean

Choppy

Awkward or Disorganized

Vague or Underdeveloped

Context Unclear

Redundant

Wordy

Sentence-Level Patterns and What They Mean

Run-Ons, Splices, and Fragments

Agreement Issues

Word Choice

Punctuation Issues

Conclusion

References

Chapter Four: Grammatical Concepts

Introduction: What It Is, and What It Ain't

Structure of Chapter Four

Limitations of Chapter Four

Unit One: Sentences and Sentence Types

The Sentence

Overview

Form and Function

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with the Sentence

Scenario 1: Food Fight

Scenario 2: Gotta Get That Money

Scenario 3: Different Kinds of Bosses

Non-Sentences and Their Uses

Overview

Form

Fragments and Function

Single Words

Phrases and Other Phenomena

Clauses

Fragments in Use

Run-ons and Function

Run-ons in Use

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Non-Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with Fragments and Run-Ons

Scenario 1: Ghost Stories

Scenario 2: Thirty Seconds of Face Time

Scenario 3: Advertising Your Town

Scenario 4: Remixing the Mocking Run-On

Simple Sentences

Overview

Form

Function

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Simple Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with Simple Sentences

Scenario 1: Testify

Scenario 2: Honest and Direct

Scenario 3: A Real Apology

Scenario 4: Ending a Relationship

Compound Sentences and Conjunctions

Overview

Form

Function

Yet, For, and Nor

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Compound Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with Compound Sentences

Scenario 1: Justice For All

Scenario 2: Science Fiction Point-Counterpoint

Scenario 3: Making a Deal

Scenario 4: The Ironic "Yet"

Scenario 5: The Memorable Well-Balanced Line

Scenario 6: The Dramatic Reason or Consequence

Complex Sentences

Overview

Form

Function

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Complex Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with Complex Sentences

Scenario 1: Friday Night Plans

Scenario 2: Carlee's Concoctions

Scenario 3: Spirit Friday

Scenario 4a: Storybook Summarizer

Scenario 4b: Album Blurbs

Compound-Complex Sentences

Overview

Form

Function

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Compound-Complex Sentences are Useful in Actual Communication

Experimenting with Compound-Complex Sentences

Scenario 1: Junk Food in School

Scenario 2: Whiffleball Guidelines

Scenario 3: Youth Court Judge

Scenario 4: Who's the Winner

Active and Passive Voice

Overview

Form

Verb Form

Function

Typical Form Exercises

Focusing on Use: How Active Voice is Useful in Actual Communication

Focusing on Use: How Passive Voice is Useful in Actual Communication

Avoiding blame or guilt

Emphasizing a different subject for a particular reason

News reporting

Distancing the doer intentionally for political reasons

Experimenting with Passive Voice

Scenario 1: Grandpa's (Formerly) Fine Ride

Scenario 2: Party Post-Mortem

Scenario 3: Fixing Headlines

Scenario 4: Apology or Non-Apology?

Unit Two: Clauses

Dependent Clauses

Overview

Form

Function

Adverbial Clauses

Dependent Clause Relationships

Punctuating Adverbial Clauses

Adjectival Clauses

Punctuating Adjectiv…